For example, 40 to 60% of the US is moderately to severely deficient in vitamin D. Why? Because a lot of people live in places where they’re not getting enough sunlight. Their body’s not creating vitamin D. Vitamin D is also critical for hundreds of epigenetic processes in the body—turning on certain positive things that activate digestive pathways, energy production pathways, dopamine and serotonin pathways. Most people aren’t getting enough. It’s the same song with magnesium. About 60% of the US is moderately to severely deficient. In tandem with this, we have this mental health epidemic of anxiety and depression. Well, one thing we know for a fact is that when magnesium is low in the brain, our brain cannot produce adequate levels of serotonin and dopamine. If you have enough magnesium, you can create more serotonin and dopamine, leading to positive mental health outcomes. There is clinical research to show adequate magnesium supplementation improved depressive and anxiety-related tendencies.
I want to emphasize: supplements are meant to supplement an already healthy lifestyle. But those are two supplements that make a difference. When I started taking magnesium—specifically magnesium threonate—I felt the difference. I could feel it in my sleep, I could feel it in my brain, in my thought clarity.
What about electrolytes?
Most people exist in a mild state of dehydration and they don’t even know it. We don’t just need water to hydrate. We need water with sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Every cell in our body has a balance of water and all of those electrolytes, and when they get out of whack, everything gets out of whack.
I’m huge on brain health. I keep alluding to it because I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s. I’m very passionate about protecting my cognitive health. Electrolytes help with brain function, boost energy levels, and boost blood flow and blood volume, which makes us feel more energized. I tell anyone first thing in the morning, if you feel hungry or groggy, I want you to stop reaching for the coffee immediately, stop reaching for food immediately. Before you do anything, just have 20 ounces of water with your favorite electrolyte supplement, or even just a quarter teaspoon of salt of any kind. Tell me you don’t notice a difference.
Are you also a coffee guy, or have you sworn it off completely?
Oh no, I’m a huge coffee guy. I love caffeine, probably too much. Just do this first, and then enjoy your caffeine however you see fit.
I’m not the type to say, “Get on your treadmill at 3:30 in the morning and do one and a half hours of cardio. Also, make sure you journal and do your affirmations.” My morning routine is simple and it’s backed by neuroscience. Water, light, movement, mindfulness, cold exposure. Five things, the last one’s optional, because not everybody has that access.
Whenever I wake up—6:30 or 7 am—I immediately have my water with electrolytes. Sometimes it’s just salt, because that does the trick pretty well. Then immediately after I chug that down, I go for a 15-minute walk to get the blood flowing, get blood flow to the brain, wake the body up. It’s very important to move first thing in the morning. Morning sunlight is incredibly important to hit our eyeballs because it tells our body it’s daytime. Do the daytime things.